Bangkok Cuisine

It
would not be an exaggeration to say that many people visit Thailand to
savor the exotic cuisines of the place. The country offers an amazing
range of culinary delights, internationally recognized for their
distinctive flavors. Owing to the cultural heritage of the place,
traditional Thai food is a mouth-watering fusion of Chinese, Indian,
Malaysian and Portuguese recipes, to name a few. However, the country
expertly blends the foods of these different regions, and comes up with
its unique food culture and cuisine. Moreover, when it comes to the
capital city of Bangkok, the gastronomic range is just unending.

The whole city wafts with the melting aroma of mouth-watering food.
Food carts and snack stalls are common sights on every street corner.
Often, you will come across pavement eateries with collapsible tables
and chairs. These street foods not only lend the delightfully pungent
aroma to the air, but are also a treat to the eyes, especially with
colorful garnishes. The fact that Thailand is an agricultural land with
bountiful products reflects best in these eateries, with their stockpile
of products. Besides, the ease with which street vendors master the art
of chopping fruits and vegetables is enough to make your stomach growl
with food cravings.

Thai people are also gifted cooks, which is another reason to sample
the local platters of Bangkok. Leaving aside the commonplace red, yellow
and green curries that are considered as authentic Thai delights in the
West, you will be amazed to see the huge array of traditional cuisines
that the place actually can boast of. Generally, people in Bangkok
prefer eating steamed rice (both sticky and non-sticky), with a variety
of side dishes like curries, broths, dips, soups, etc. Fresh herbs and
spices, like lemongrass, sweet basil, ginger, garlic, spring onion, red
and green chilies, find generous usage in different recipes.

Many
local dishes are also prepared with sour tamarind, shallots and coconut
milk. Another ingredient that is extensively used in dishes is pungent
fish sauce (Nam Pla). Moreover, Thai cooking style calls for
stir-frying, steaming, deep-frying and grilling. Therefore, fruits,
vegetables and even meat are cut into small bite-sized pieces. Like the
case with most Thailanders, the people of Bangkok are avid lovers of
non-vegetarian food. Therefore, meats like pork, beef, chicken, lamb,
etc find a special place in many of the traditional dishes.